Etto
Modern Cuisine · Mansion House B, Dublin
Restaurant in Dublin, Ireland
The Read
Italian-Japanese Counter Fusion
Price
€€
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
Etto on Merrion Row is the strongest value case for serious cooking in Dublin at the €€ tier. A Michelin Plate kitchen with a Star Wine List White Star award, an intimate counter that works as well for solo diners as for dates, booking that is easier than most rooms of comparable quality. Book it before a show at the National Concert Hall or as a considered weeknight dinner.
About Etto
Who Should Book Etto; and When
If you want a genuinely special dinner in Dublin without the formality of a jacket-required dining room or the price tag of a Michelin-starred tasting menu, Etto on Merrion Row is the right call. It works well for a considered date night, a small celebration, or a solo evening at the counter where the kitchen is close enough to hold your attention. At the €€ price tier, it delivers a quality of cooking that most restaurants at this price point in Dublin cannot match; and that gap is the reason to book it.
The Space: Intimate by Design
The name is Italian for intimacy, the room earns it. The counter and the open kitchen are close enough that the line between guest and cook dissolves; you are not watching the kitchen through a pass, you are sharing the same space. For a date or a solo visit, this is one of Dublin's most compelling counters, the proximity to the kitchen means dinner moves at the rhythm of what is being cooked, not a fixed service schedule. For groups larger than four, it is worth noting that the scale of the room limits how well the space works; Etto is better suited to parties of two or three who want immersion over table size.
The cooking draws from two distinct traditions: Italian structure with a Japanese seasonal sensibility. The antipasto misto, described as arriving on a Kiyomizu-yaki platter with leaves of the season, has a hassun quality, the Japanese tradition of presenting small, seasonal morsels that signal the time of year. Five small dishes of salty and sour bites are designed to carry a wine-drinking dinner forward. This is food built around a table that stays at the counter, not one that wants to eat quickly and leave.
Value and Recognition
Etto holds a Michelin Plate (2025), which places it in the tier below a full Michelin star but recognises consistent good cooking. The more relevant credential for wine drinkers is its Star Wine List White Star, awarded in 2023, this is a published wine list recognition from Star Wine List, it is the reason Etto earns its place among Dublin restaurants worth visiting specifically for the wine programme alongside the food.
At the €€ price point, Etto is positioned well below Bastible and Patrick Guilbaud in spend, but the standard of cooking is closer to those rooms than the price difference implies. That gap, paying €€ for a kitchen operating at a standard that routinely gets press and award attention, is exactly what the casual excellence angle means in practice. This is not a budget restaurant that happens to be good; it is a serious restaurant that happens to have kept its pricing accessible.
Booking and Logistics
Booking at Etto is rated Easy, which makes it more approachable than many Dublin restaurants of comparable quality. That said, the intimate scale of the room means it does not take many covers to fill completely. Book ahead rather than counting on availability, particularly for weekend evenings and around Dublin's busier cultural calendar. The address is 18 Merrion Row, D02 A316, a short walk from St Stephen's Green and within easy reach of the city's hotel strip and the National Concert Hall.
For more context on what else is worth booking in the city, see our full Dublin restaurants guide. If you are making a full trip of it, our full Dublin hotels guide, our full Dublin bars guide, and our full Dublin experiences guide cover the rest.
Where Etto Sits in the Wider Irish Scene
Dublin's more ambitious modern cooking is spread across a number of rooms worth knowing. Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen and Glovers Alley operate at the starred level if you want to move up in formality and spend. Variety Jones and allta are the closer comparators in terms of scale and ambition at a similar price tier. D'Olier Street is worth noting if your priority is wine depth alongside food.
Beyond Dublin, the standard of serious cooking in smaller Irish rooms is high. Liath in Blackrock is close enough to include in a Dublin trip. Aniar in Galway, Bastion in Kinsale, Campagne in Kilkenny, dede in Baltimore, and Terre in Castlemartyr are all worth the detour if you are travelling beyond the capital. For those interested in the Japanese-European culinary crossover that informs Etto's approach, Frantzén in Stockholm and FZN by Björn Frantzén in Dubai represent what that synthesis looks like at the highest level of spend.
The Verdict
Book Etto if you want dinner that takes the food seriously without requiring you to dress for it or spend at the level of a starred room. The counter is one of the better places to eat solo in Dublin. For a date night or a small celebration, the combination of a strong wine list, intimate space, Italian-Japanese cooking at the €€ tier is difficult to beat at this price in the city. Booking is Easy by Dublin standards, use that to your advantage and get a reservation rather than hoping for availability on the night.
Practical Details
| Detail | Etto | Variety Jones | Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | €€ | €€€ | €€ |
| Awards | Michelin Plate 2025, Star Wine List White Star | ||
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Harder | |
| Leading for | Counter dining, dates, solo | Small groups | Nordic-leaning modern |
| Address | 18 Merrion Row | Thomas Street |
Planning details
- Location
- 18 Merrion Row, Dublin, D02 A316, Ireland
- Website
- etto.ie
- Phone
- +353 1 678 8872
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Etto presents a quietly sophisticated counter-focused dining room where intimacy and precision define the mood. The small-scale space foregrounds proximity to the kitchen, letting the clatter of preparation and low conversation form part of the atmosphere rather than background noise. Italian structural bones—antipasto, small portions and wine-led pacing—are overlaid with a Japanese seasonal sensibility, so plates arrive with deliberate restraint and thoughtful composition. The experience reads as modern and refined: unostentatious craftsmanship delivered up close, with the kitchen’s choreography very much part of the evening’s appeal.
Best For
Etto is tailored for intimate dinners and occasions that value focused conversation and culinary attention. The committed counter format makes it excellent for date nights and small business dinners, where watching technique at close quarters becomes part of the evening, and for solo diners who appreciate being close to the kitchen. Its sequence of small plates and wine-oriented pacing encourage lingering and shared tasting rather than rushed meals, so evenings and thoughtful, unhurried visits are the natural fit for this compact, performance-driven restaurant.
Ordering Tips
Think in sequences and seasonality: begin with the antipasto misto, which the kitchen frames using the hassun concept and Kiyomizu-yaki ceramics to introduce the current season. Favor small plates and shareable portions so you can sample the Italian structure with its Japanese editorial layer. Highlighted preparations—Roast Potato Gnocchi, Violet Artichoke, Red Wine Prunes and the Pork Belly and Eel Croquettes—represent the kitchen’s approach and are sensible picks. Pace the meal with wine; the house’s wine-oriented timing is designed to complement the small-plate rhythm and the counter’s theatrical service.
Planning details
Location
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Also Consider
- Patrick Guilbaud; Irish - French, Modern French, €€€€
- Bastible; Modern Irish, Modern Cuisine, €€€€
- Host; Nordic, Modern Cuisine, €€
- mae; Southern, Modern Cuisine, €€€
- Matsukawa; Kaiseki, Japanese, €€€€
Restaurant context
Etto sits at €€, which makes the comparison with Dublin's other modern cooking rooms mostly a question of how much you want to spend for a marginal step up in formality. Bastible and Patrick Guilbaud both operate at €€€€ and deliver more ceremony and broader tasting menu structures, but neither offers the counter intimacy that makes Etto the better call for a dinner for two. If the priority is spending less and eating well, Etto wins that comparison without much debate.
At the same price tier, Host is the closest structural comparison; a modern European room at €€ with its own editorial identity; but Etto's award credentials (Michelin Plate, Star Wine List White Star) give it a stronger verified track record at this price. mae at €€€ sits between the two in spend and works if you want a more Southern-influenced modern menu. For Japanese-influenced cooking specifically, Matsukawa operates at €€€€ and represents the kaiseki end of that tradition at a significantly higher price; Etto's Japanese seasonal sensibility is a lighter inflection rather than a full kaiseki format.
For booking difficulty, Etto is rated Easy, which is a meaningful advantage in a city where the better rooms fill up quickly. Bastible and Patrick Guilbaud both require more lead time to secure. If you are visiting Dublin with a short planning window and want a dinner that delivers at the upper end of what the city offers without a months-long wait, Etto is the practical choice. Book it for the counter, bring someone who drinks wine, let the kitchen's proximity do the rest.
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Etto guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Etto
| Venue | Awards | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Etto | Star Wine Lists 2026 · #1Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 20262026 Michelin Plate2025 Michelin Plate | €€ |
| Patrick Guilbaud | 2026 OAD Classical in Europe Ranked · #23Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 20262026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 OAD Classical in Europe Ranked · #212025 Michelin 2 Stars2025 La Liste Top Restaurants2024 OAD Classical in Europe Ranked · #232024 Michelin 2 Stars2023 OAD Classical in Europe Ranked · #23 | €€€€ |
| Bastible | Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 20262026 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Recommended2025 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #3972025 Michelin 1 Star2025 The Sunday Times Ireland's 100 Best Restaurants2024 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #3732024 Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ |
| Host | Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 20262025 OAD Casual in Europe Ranked · #6362025 Michelin Plate2024 OAD Casual in Europe Ranked · #6862024 Michelin Plate2023 OAD Casual in Europe Recommended | €€ |
| mae | Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 20262025 Michelin Plate2025 The Sunday Times Ireland's 100 Best Restaurants2024 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #7692024 Michelin Plate2023 OAD Gourmet Casual Dining in North America Recommended | €€€ |
| Matsukawa | No published awards | €€€€ |
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A quick look at how Etto measures up.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the tasting menu worth it at Etto?
Etto's format leans toward small plates rather than a formal tasting menu, with dishes like the antipasto misto designed to keep things flowing rather than lock you into a fixed sequence. At a €€ price point with a Michelin Plate (2025) and Star Wine List #1 (2023) recognition, the food-to-price ratio is strong. If you want a structured multi-course progression with matched wines, Chapter One or Patrick Guilbaud will suit that format better. Etto rewards diners who want to graze and drink well without a set itinerary.
Is Etto worth the price?
Yes, at the €€ price range, Etto sits well below Dublin's starred rooms while carrying a Michelin Plate (2025) and the top spot on Star Wine List (2023). For the combination of cooking quality, wine programme, relaxed atmosphere on Merrion Row, it delivers more than its price suggests. If budget is the main concern, Bastible offers a comparable value proposition on the southside. But for wine-led dining in a central location, Etto is hard to beat at this price.
Is Etto good for solo dining?
Yes; the counter setup is genuinely well-suited to solo diners. The open kitchen means you're watching the kitchen work rather than staring at an empty chair across from you, the intimate scale keeps the room from feeling isolating. Solo diners at the counter sit alongside the action, which is part of what the space is designed around. Book the counter directly if you're coming alone.
How far ahead should I book Etto?
Booking is rated Easy relative to Dublin's competitive restaurant scene, but the intimate scale means it still fills up. A week's notice is usually sufficient for midweek, though weekend tables; particularly Friday and Saturday evenings; are worth booking 2 to 3 weeks out. Given the room's small footprint, even a few days' delay can close your options at prime times.
What should I order at Etto?
The antipasto misto, served on a Kiyomizu-yaki platter with seasonal leaves, is a documented signature and the clearest expression of the Italian-Japanese sensibility the kitchen works in. The small salty and sour dishes are designed to pair with wine, so arriving hungry and ordering broadly across the menu makes more sense than anchoring to one or two plates. Let the wine list guide the pacing.
What are alternatives to Etto in Dublin?
For a step up in formality and price, Chapter One (Michelin-starred) or Patrick Guilbaud (two stars) are the obvious moves. For a similar value-driven, ingredient-focused approach in a neighbourhood setting, Bastible in Portobello is the closest comparison. Host and mae offer more modern, produce-led cooking for diners who want something looser in format. Matsukawa covers the Japanese end of the spectrum if that's what the Italian-Japanese crossover at Etto is drawing you toward.
Is Etto good for a special occasion?
Yes, with the right expectations. The intimate scale and counter-focused room make it feel personal rather than celebratory in the traditional sense, so it works well for a birthday dinner for two or an anniversary where the food and wine matter more than a grand room. If you need a private space, a large party setup, or a formal dining atmosphere, look at Patrick Guilbaud or Chapter One instead. For a special dinner without the occasion feeling staged, Etto is a solid call.
